The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-03-31
NUMBER IS.
THE DYNAMITE Gun.
\ Weapon Of Tremendous Power
That Gould Crush the Tnunderer.
y \ Times, 9Th

That Gould Crush the Thunderer.
y. \. Times 9Th.
Jusi ~ Lieut.. Zalinski was about to
iire charge of 80 pounds OF dynamite
AMI nit ro-glyccrine from his pneumatic
dNnamt" gun yesterday afternoon at
Fort Lafayette, small boat, heavily
loaded with passengcrs from Fort Hamil-
ton. Was carried out Of direct course
hy the tide and exactly i'm front Of the
gun. Among the passengers was >. ID.
schuyler, President Of the Pneumatic
Dynamite Gun Company. He had been
auNIouly watching the course of the boat.
and when he heard Lieut.. Zalinski shout
r. All right" he eNinced "A desire to get
out of sight, But the water was eN-
tremrly cold and dangerously rough, 80
he yelled Ia the boatman TO change his
course and get from under that gun,
The other passengers had not noticed
the gun, or rather had not recognized IL,
a. at first glance from distance Il
might easily be mistaken for huge
crane, When they observed Mr. Schuy-
hers anxiety 81 get from under they ma
turallN had no desire to take sides
against him, feeling that lac was more
intimately acquainted with the gun
than they were. With one voice they
ordered the boatman 10 row, to row
hard AMI get from under-quick. liut
the buatman was set In hs ways lie
not only refused IL quicken his move
ments, 81 Ia change his course, but he
informed his freight that he knew his
business, A he said So, there was
roaring scrcech. II sounded like the
vail of "A di~coutentcd elephant. The
men ln the boat shuddered, then sighed
with relief to find themselves whole.
| The first Of four proiectiles had been
fired from th" gun and was shooting
through the mir ~ the rate Of 200 yards
I a second.
The rocky islet on which Fort Iafay-
cite once stood and which il now deco
rated hy il ruins. was visited by army
and navy men ia large numbers. Civil
lans, too. were numerous. Four pro.
Irrtilo- hay nn a low wooden frame,
Except WhiLr under inspection they
Wtrr covered with "A piece of canvas,
Each oi these contained 80 pounds of
dynamite and nitrp-glNcerine. The pro
lcctile propor-th" covering-was of
brass. 30 inches hong. fitting closely n
gun with nn s-inch bore. The cartridge
WAS roniral in form. 4 wooden
tail the image of AN over
grown potato masher was fitted into the
base of the cartridge 50 that the length
of the entire affair was about six feet.
The men who handled the cartridges did
80 with much care, the distinguished
visitors paving close attention, ready AT
q moments notice Ia lac down or bs
blown up Everybody felt in duty
bound Ia stand close Ia the gun while
preparations for loading were in pro-
grrss. and out Of politeness 10 Lieut..
Ialinski, would have held the position
until th" gun was fired, bat before I'll"
word was given lac thoughtfully advised
all who cared to do 50 Ia retire some
distance.
The gun did not burst and projectile,
l.. A. A. E.fN
was propelled 10y AN air pressure OF 200
pounds - the square inch "A mile or
more in $40 seconds. Its course
through the air could be- seen with th"
naked eye When IL dived beneath th"
surface il showed the vivacity Of its na-
ture by hraNing upa mound shaped body
of water that glitt"rod in the sunlight
for moment and sank only 20 be re-
placed by another eruption Of an inky
hue The explosion had torn up the
bottom. Four shots were fired, two AT
AN elevation of ~ degrees and two AT 10
degrees. The second shot ricochetted.
and when IL finally exploded its resting
place was marked 10y column Of water
that rose to "A height of hundred feet or
more. During the airy flight Of the
third projertilc its tail broke and the
cartridge turned fifty or more somer-
saults before IL hid its head in the pre-
scribed manner. The fourth projectile
did not explode, and is lying under wa
ter oil Coney Island Point waiting for u
favorable opportunity to kick back when
il is intrrfered with. The first projectile
WAS thrown about "A mile IN y $40 sec.
onds, ia" second /! miles in IL 4-lO
seconds, the third about the same dis
tance in 20 $40 seconds, and the fourth
about p miles in - 4-lO seconds.
The guns with which the Government
dynamite cruiser that Cramp a. Sons
are building viii carry charge OF 1000
pounds. If such "A charge were explod-
cd within l25 feet Of the Thunderer,
that vessels sides would be mashed in,
50 said Lieut. Ialinski. The bore OF
these gums will be ten inches The crui
sors will carry three of them. They will
measure, in the barrel % forty feet long.